Mamba Drainage Services
Kitchen and Bathroom Sink Repair Vancouver
Slow kitchen sink drain. Bathroom sink dripping into the cabinet. A new under mount sink to set once the granite lands.
We do the whole thing, the sink and the drain rebuild underneath it, from supply lines and shut offs to the P-trap and the dishwasher tie in.
Where the leak under your cabinet is coming from
Almost every under sink leak we open up is one of these five. Which one it is decides whether this is a part swap or a rebuild.
- A rubber supply line that has failed or is weeping at the ferrule
- A corroded or cracked slip joint nut on the P-trap
- A garburator flange seal that has let go
- A pinhole in the pull down sprayer hose, which only leaks while the tap is running
- A basket strainer whose plumber’s putty has dried out and lost its seal
- Water that appears only after the dishwasher runs, which points at the discharge tie in
Vancouver sink repair and installation
Sinks fail in predictable ways. Slow drains from hair, soap scum and grease, which we see constantly in the older apartment stock through Mount Pleasant and Hastings-Sunrise. Leaks under the cabinet. Corroded basket strainers. Under sink hardware that aged out years ago and nobody looked at because the cabinet door was shut.
Under a kitchen sink it is one connected system. Supply lines feed the faucet. The basin drains through the basket strainer into the tail piece, the tail piece into the P-trap, the trap into the branch arm, the branch arm into the vertical stack. Any point in that chain can be the leak, and a plumber who only replaces the part you pointed at is going to be back.
Basket strainer failure. The chromed cup that sits in the drain hole is sealed to the sink with plumber’s putty. That putty dries out after 8 to 12 years and then the sink weeps quietly into the cabinet, which is why so many of these get found by a warped cabinet floor rather than by a drip.
P-trap and tail piece. A PVC slip joint trap with rubber washers holds well for 5 to 10 years. The plastic slip nuts crack from over tightening or from temperature cycling. It goes back as chrome brass, which lasts decades, or as fresh Schedule 40 PVC torqued properly, plus a continuous waste tee if a dishwasher discharges into it.
Dishwasher discharge. The high loop drain hose ties either into the side inlet on the garburator or into a branch tee on the trap. Plenty of strata buildings require an air gap fitting to stop siphon backflow. We check that connection on every kitchen sink service, because a wrong one shows up as dirty water in the sink and nobody suspects the dishwasher.
Garburator integration. If there is a disposal, the flange seals, the dishwasher knockout and the discharge tube all have to line up. A badly installed disposal is behind a large share of the under sink leaks we get called to in Vancouver kitchens, and the knockout that never got punched is the classic.
Bathroom sinks are simpler, and then heritage homes make them interesting again. Pedestal and wall hung sinks are everywhere in pre-1980 Vancouver bathrooms. The pedestal hides the supply lines and the trap, so access is tight, and wall hung units bolt into studs that need blocking verified before anything gets mounted. Vessel bowls sit above the counter, which changes the pop up assembly height and the tail piece length and sometimes means adjusting the rough in. And 1920s to 1950s pedestals in Strathcona and East Van come with brass fittings, non standard connections and occasionally original lead soldered supply, which we transition out with Sioux Chief adapters so the sink keeps its character and the plumbing meets current code.
Drop in or under mount, before you buy
A drop in sink is the easier call when
- You may want to swap the sink again without touching the counter
- The counter is laminate, butcher block or anything not stone
- You are replacing like for like and the cutout already fits
- Budget matters more than the seamless counter to basin look
An under mount is worth it when
- The counter is stone and you want a clean wipe down edge
- The counter is being fabricated now, so the cutout is made to suit
- You accept that releasing the epoxy bond later can damage the stone
- The cabinet is deep enough for the basin you have picked
Sink tips for Vancouver homeowners
- Check cabinet depth before you buy. Apron front and deep stainless basins need a deeper cabinet than standard. Most kitchen cabinets are 24 inches deep and some deep sinks want 27.
- Drop ins are easier to replace than under mounts. An under mount is epoxy bonded to stone, and releasing that bond can damage the counter. A drop in lifts out.
- Swap the supply lines during the sink change. If we are already under there, the lines and the angle stops should come out with the old sink. It is the difference between a planned visit and an emergency one.
- Rebuild the pop up during a bathroom faucet swap. Linkage that is 8 years or older has usually corroded. Doing it in the same visit beats a second trip.
- Pedestal sinks hide their plumbing. Pretty, and tight to work on. Plan the repair scope before the pedestal comes off, because that is when surprises get expensive.
- Talk to your countertop installer first. The sink cutout has to suit the sink you actually bought. Pre coordinating that is the cheapest phone call in the renovation.
- Vessel sinks need a vessel faucet. An above counter bowl needs a taller body, roughly 12 inches or more. A standard lavatory faucet will not clear the rim.
- A garburator changes the trap layout. The disposal discharge ties into the continuous waste tee, so the fitting count and the tee orientation get confirmed at install, not after.
- Heritage sinks can be restored. A 1920s to 1950s pedestal or wall hung sink has character worth keeping. Adapters and code compliant supply transitions bring the plumbing current without losing the sink.
What Vancouver customers say
Ryan was great! My landlord called him to fix my blocked kitchen sink. He showed up the same day (on a Sunday) and fixed the problem. He even cleaned the sink and dried up all the water that had leaked before he got there. And he was very careful coming in and out of the house so my cat wouldn’t get out. I’d definitely recommend him.
Ryan is INCREDIBLE. He has been responding to all of us (four houses and families!) affected by a sewage back up. This is all on Boxing Day and beyond, in terrible weather full of ice, cold and rain. He is so knowledgeable, and knew what was needed right away. Just the top of his field I am sure. As well as that, he is incredibly calm, respectful, kind and fair. I am truly amazed by this person's capacity and competence in combination with his noble, calm presence in the face of a real mess. Thank you Ryan, so very much!
I had very positive experience with Mamba Services, Ryan was amazing to work with and took care of my drain issues in no time. He arrived on time, was very professional and efficient in carrying out the work. What impressed me was how honest he was in recommending needed repair. He was very patient in explaining the different options. I will certainly call them for future projects.
Had an excellent experience. Ryan was fantastic, it was an after hours call late in the evening and he showed up exactly in the time frame he gave. Took care of the kitchen sink issue within minutes all systems were running like new. Pricing was extremely reasonable, Ryan was patient and explained everything to me while fixing my problem. I would highly recommend this company for any plumbing work.
Ryan was efficient, experienced, and knowledgeable. He was able to squeeze me into his schedule with short notice and wasted no time with my appointment. He arrived on site inspected the issue, and was quickly at work with resolving the problem. I am very pleased with his service and honesty. He provided recommendations that will help assist me in future occurrences.
Full under sink service, Greater Vancouver
Slow drain eating your evening?
New sink for the kitchen renovation, a vanity upgrade, or a drain that has quietly given up. Heritage and modern installs both, and the whole under sink system gets checked while we are in there.
Sink repair FAQ, Vancouver
Try a plunger first, and go gently, because too much force can damage the basket strainer. If that does not move it, the clog is past the P-trap in the branch line and it wants a cable. We run a Ridgid K-1500 for that. If the same line clogs over and over, cabling is treating the symptom and hydro jetting is the fix that actually scrubs the branch back to bare pipe.
Yes. 1920s to 1950s pedestal sinks, wall hung sinks and non standard rough ins are regular work for us. Sioux Chief adapters and code compliant supply transitions let the original sink stay where it is while the plumbing behind it comes up to current code.
A 1 year workmanship warranty on our labour. Manufacturer warranties depend on the sink and the faucet. Moen carries lifetime on cartridges, Kohler lifetime on bodies, and sink manufacturers typically run 5 to 25 years depending on the material.
Yes, and we would rather. Sink installs land after the tile and the counter and before the final hardware. Getting that sequencing right is what keeps scratches off brand new finishes, and we will talk to your GC directly rather than through you.
Yes. Cabinet modification, support framing, drain alignment and the perimeter silicone seal. We quote the plumbing portion, and if structural changes to the cabinet are needed that gets coordinated with your GC so nobody is guessing about who owns which part.
Yes. Prep sinks, dish pit sinks and hand wash sinks, set up to satisfy restaurant health code requirements including air gaps and indirect waste. Those requirements are the whole job on a commercial fit out, so we plan them before anything gets plumbed.
Yes. Lift rod replacement, pivot ball rebuild and stopper replacement, either during a faucet install or on its own. Nine times out of ten the linkage has corroded rather than the stopper being wrong.
Many Vancouver strata buildings require one to stop siphon backflow into the dishwasher. If yours does, the high loop alone is not enough. We check what your building requires and what your current setup actually has, because the two often disagree.
24/7 EMERGENCY DISPATCH
Water where it should not be?
Ryan picks up. Live dispatch, and you get a real arrival window on the call.